Split lid casket sealer



Aug. 15, 1961 w. v. PITT 2,995,800

SPLIT LID GASKET SEALER 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Sept. 9, 1960 INVENTOR WMU/9M ngz/@M4N /7/77,

ATTORNEY Aug. 15, 1961 w. v. PxTT 2,995,800

SPLIT LID GASKET SEALER Filed Sept. 9, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY 2,995,800 SPLIT LID GASKET SEALER William V. Pitt, 4213 Gorman Ave., Waco, Tex. Filed Sept. 9, 1960, Ser. No. 54,990 2 Claims. (Cl. 27-17) This invent-ion relates to the sealing of split lid or half couch burial caskets.

Heretofore in sealing split lid caskets, it has been custornary to employ rubber or vinyl gaskets which are placed around the upper edges of the casket body and between the contacting surfaces of the two halves of the split lid. With sealing caskets having a lid of one piece, very often a tongue and groove construction has been employed, the tongue extending around the lid close to its perimeter, and thc groove being provided in the top edges of the casket body and receiving the tongue when the lid is closed. A sealing compound is always placed in the groove prior to closing the casket for the interment. But in split lid caskets, this tongue and groove and sealing compound arrangement so far as I know has never been employed to seal the joint between the two halves of the casket lid.

The present invention discloses an arrangement for the secure sealing of the aforementioned joint by the use of a tongue and groove and sealing compound. The principal advantages are (l) that the seal is far more permanent than the gasket-pressure seals; (2) that the seal is far less expensive, as no mechanical pressureexerting mechanisms on the casket body are necessary; (3) that the seal is instantaneous in that it is made as soon as the raised half of the split llid is shut, no turning of cranks or levers being required. Other advantages will occur to those skilled in the ant.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this speciiication:

FIG. l is a fragmentary perspective view of a split lid casket employing the invention, one of the lid sections being raised;

FIG. 2 is a detail in perspective showing the forward edge of the casket body;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary elevation showing the joint between the two lid sections, which are brought together;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of the same lid section that is Shown raised in FIG. l, the View being from a different angle to reveal the tongue; and

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the groove-d lid section from a different angle.

Referring particularly to the drawings, only a fragmentary portion of a half couch casket is shown, said casket having a split lid consisting of two sect-ions, a head section "1l and a foot section 12. Both lid sections may be hinged (not shown) to the rear wall of the casket so as to swing upwardly, or only the head section 11 will be hinged. The lid sections have seals (hereinafter described) interposed between the upper edges of the casket body 10 and the opposed edges of the lid sections. These seals may be of the tongue-and-groove type, with organic thixotropic sealing material placed in the grooves and forming a permanent seal when set or hardened.

In the illustrative embodiment of the invention, the foot section 12 has `an integral shoulder 13 which may be arcuate as shown and which extends from the front of the casket to the rear and projects toward the head section 11. A planar vertical wall 14 extends from shoulder 13 to the outer surface or top of the foot section 12. Shoulder 13 has a generally U-shaped groove 15 extending for its entire length, the groove being about midway between the outer edge and the base of the shoulder, as best shown in FIG. 3. The head section 1.1 has an ntegral shoulder 16 which also may be arcuate as shown and vwhich also extends from front to rear but projects toward the foot sect-ion 12, said shoulder 16 being so disposed that it overlies shoulder 1'3 when the two lid sections are closed. Extending for the entire length of shoulder 16 is 'an integral rib or tongue 17, said tongue being received in the U-shaped groove 15 when the lid sections are closed. A planar vertical wall 18 extends from shoulder 16 to the outer surface or top of lid section 11, and when the lid sections are closed, there is a narrow space 19 (FIG. 3) between the opposed walls 18 and 14.

The forward end of shoulder 13 is received in a U- shaped recess 20 provided in the top forward edge of the casket body. The rear end of shoulder 13 is likewise received in a similar recess (not shown) provided in the top rear edge of the casket body. Both recesses open to the continuous groove 21 running around the sides of the casket at the top. Groove 21 is adapted to receive the tongues 22, 23 provided on lid sections 11 and 12, respectively. tAn organic thxotropic sealing material (not shown) is poured in groove 21 and both recesses prior to closing and sealing the casket. The type of sealing material presently preferred by me is commercially known as Bondrnaster Adhesive (G568-35), sold by Rubber and Asbestos Corporation of Bloomiield, New Jersey; but obviously other sealing compounds such as certain epoxy resins could be used.

Sealing of the joint between the two lid sections is effected by spreading the described sealing compound (or its equivalent) over at least part of the surface of U-shaped groove 15 and then closing the head section 11. The tongue '1'7 contacts the soft sealing compound (shown at 25, FIG. 3) yand spreads it, and when the sealing compound hardens, `a permanent seal is formed, without manipulation of part-s or application of pressure other than the weight of the lid section 11. Thus the objects of the invention are attained in a very simple manner, involving few parts, little expense and no particular skill.

While I have described an illustrative embodiment of the invention in considerable detail, it will be understood that a number of changes may be rnade in the construction, provided these changes are within the scope of the claims appended to this specification. Thus, the groove need not be provided on an arcuate shoulder, as in some `caskets the split lids are fiat, in which case both shoulders would be straight.

What I claim is:

l. A casket having a body with an upwardly opening `groove formed all around the upper edges thereof; a split l-id hinged to the casket body and having two sections each provided with tongues fitting in said groove when said lid sections are closed; one lid section having a shoulder projecting toward the other lid section, said shoulder having a groove extending the entire length thereof, which is transversely of the casket; said other lid section `also having -a shoulder which overlies the lirst mentioned shoulder when the lid sections are closed; the secondmentioned shoulder having `a tongue extending throughout its length, said tongue being received in the groove of the rst-rnentioned shoulder when the lid sections are closed; the groove in the upper edges of the casket body communicating with the ends of the groove in the firstmentioned shoulder, so that a sealing compound may be placed in all the grooves to make a continuous seal, when the lid sections are closed, said continuous seal extending yall around the upper edges of the casket body yand transversely of the casket at the joint between the two lid sections.

2. The invention defined Iin claim 1, wherein the forward and rear ends of the trst mentioned shoulder are respectively received in recesses provided on the top forward and rear edges of the casket body, said recesses being open at their forward and rear sides respectively to communicate with said continuous `groove in the upper edges ofthe casket body, so that said sealing material may he placed in said continuous groove, said recesses, and the shoulder groove to form a continuous seal `all around the perimeters `of the two lid sections when the two lid sections are closed.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,284,921 Purkiss `Tune 2, 1942 2,519,633 Brown etal Aug. 22, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS 498,551 Canada Dec. 22, 1953 

